The Tennis Legend
by ukyouchrono
Summary: RyoSaku. What if Sakuno found a racket from the sky which belongs to the Tennis Legend? Without knowing that she freed the Tennis Legend from the racket and went inside her body, They became friends somehow, and Ryoma doesn't feel comfortable about it.RxR
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis doesn't belong to me. It belongs to Hatori Bisco-WAIT! That doesn't seem right….oh yeah, it belongs to Konomi-sensei (gome..)

_1989_

_The crowd all over the coliseum was hyper over the breathtaking extravaganza. They cheered in a hyperactive manner, one thing for sure is that they're cheering for one tennis player. _

"_Tennis Legend!" was the title given to his cheerleaders._

_They were deeply overwhelmed by the young junior high school lad standing right in front of them. He was known as Japanese with his auburn hair attached to his head which shows his delicate care on his hair, his eyes were brown—same color of color chocolate and his skin is tanned white of purity. He wears the white uniform of his school, stripe of navy blue on his shoulders. He got an earring on his left ear as his what he could say—his lucky charm._

_As people kept cheering on him, his play was even better than ever. It was for the Nationals, he smirked, and that was his dream._

_He did many incredible moves, techniques and anything that could beat all his opponents, he tried his best to seal his weaknesses and prove to them that he was serious of gaining his dream. After his long battle, he won. But still, his team didn't win for the Nationals._

_All of his teammates shed tears as their opponent won the game. It was a tough game and they reach this far but still, in the end they lost..._

_But the Tennis Legend smiled at them and told them that his dream was yet again, come to wait for that time comes. _

_It was really unbelievable of him to smile even after they lost. He didn't really mind at all and he really believed that there is still hope for him to win for the Nationals, for his school to win in the Nationals for the first time. Seigaku. Yeah, he loves his precious school. _

_And right after he left for the bleachers headed towards the exit of the coliseum with the crowd still cheering for him even after their lost, he then, Oshiteru Shigeru, the Tennis Legend, suddenly disappeared. _

**Genius One: The Tennis Legend**

Inoue was in his office, drinking his usual favorite coffee as he re-read the article from a very long time. It was another well known Japanese tennis player after Nanjiroh Echizen disappeared from the tennis world. He wondered why no one knows about the "Tennis Legend's" sudden disappearance. Could it be that the journalists were forbidden to write his sudden disappearance in the newspapers?

He takes another sipped in his coffee. It was still hot but nevertheless, he still loves feel hot sensation in his palm on the ceramic warm cup.

"Inoue-senpai…" A knock came in his front office. A woman's head came out from the corner with a smile on her face. It was Shiba.

"Shiba, you have those pictures for the front cover?" Inoue stood up from his chair as he poured coffee for his assistant.

"No…." She sounded calm as she spoke. Inoue gazed at her and place the container aside. This was completely un-Shiba-ish of her. Whenever she forgets she would just punch lightly on her head and stick her tongue out but this time, she sounded so calm and yet serious as if something is going to happen.

"About that Tennis Legend that you told me a million times." She sat on the usual visitor's seat and let her legs crossed in a feminine way.

She then let herself formed a grin in her face. "I met one of his teammates from 12 years ago."

"EH??!"

**(---)**

"Sakuno!" Her grandmother called her from the kitchen. Sumire was indeed annoyed over Sakuno's usual routine. "I am really going to leave you if you won't wake up." It wasn't actually Sakuno's fault that Sumire have to wake up very early, it was because, everyday, they always have this tennis practice. As the Seiguku's coach, she must not be late for the sake of her dear students. Plus she had test papers to check.

"Sakuno!" She called again and again with the same routine; there was still no response from that door upstairs.

Muttering over her granddaughter's lack of discipline, she headed upstairs and called her again. She barged her door without even a knock and called her name, this time her blood was rising up even with that old cranny age of hers.

Because of that sudden burst of noise (more louder than Tomoka, I guess) the petite 12 year old girl raised her head up with sweat fell over her face. It was like her soul came back to her abandoned body from her dream world. She stared at her grandmother who tapped her finger on her arm with a brow raised.

"U-uh… I'm sorry!" She whined as she quickly jumped out from her bed and undressed her bunny patterned pajamas. She took her Seigaku uniform from her closet and quickly dressed herself up.

After she was done dressing, she could see Sumire frowning at her. She couldn't understand that at first but when she looked at herself on the mirror, she understood now.

Her uniform was inside out.

"EEEEEEEEEH!!!"

**(---)**

"Geez, Sakuno, you don't need to scream that out loud, at least you're on your room." Sumire rubbed the inner passageway of her ear canal as she and her granddaughter walked heading towards the school.

"Sumimasen…." She said, apologetically, bowing her head down as they walked.

"It's fine, fine…" And on with their destination until they stopped on the front gate of Gakuen Seishun.

"We're here." She smirked.

"Wah, Sakuno!!!" A loud screeching voice made the Seigaku coach tilted.

Sakuno turned around to see Tomoka waving at her. Tomoka Osakada, her one and only best friend.

She waved back as the pony tailed brunette ran towards them. "Sakuno, who never thought that you can also be so early!" When she saw Sumire standing besides Sakuno, she couldn't resist but to be frightened over her monstrous scary face but tried to her greet her in a respectful way.

"Jaa, I'm going to the tennis courts now." Sumire said as she walked towards the Seigaku Tennis courts.

After the grandmother left, Tomoka was back with her hyper mode again, she clenched her fist as she gave a wide smile on her opposite. "Since you're here, Sakuno, let's check at the tennis courts! I know that you wanted to cheer Ryoma-sama, ne?"

Sakuno blushed. "To-Tomo-chan!!" Her blush deepened. Whenever she heard Echizen's name, she couldn't help but to blush. After all, Echizen is her long-time crush.

"So what are you waiting for, Sakuno?" Tomoka grinned.

"B-but…b-but…" She stuttered.

"I... we have m-morning assignments o-on E-English, r-right?"

"I just copied Rie's notebook awhile ago since Rie is the earliest girl in school. So I'm all done! But you can copy mine so you can have enough time to cheer Ryoma-sama! Gambatte Sakuno!!"

"T-Tomo-chan…"

**(---)**

Waking up so early in the morning pissed him off.

Echizen Ryoma, Seigaku's first ever Regular freshman yawned as the rest of the freshmen started picking up balls. If he didn't become a Regular, he would end up like them nor wouldn't he dare do such a boring job. He took a simple warm up before taking a match against his senpais.

He ended his warm up when the trio came to him. They're Horio, Kachiro and Katsuo.

Of course Horio will brag him about his two years of tennis experience again, Echizen grunted.

"Echizen, are you done with your English morning homework?"

Echizen nodded, it was an obvious answer and Horio should expect him to finish his homework in times of English. English is always a piece of cake for him since he used to live in America.

But knowing Horio, could he be-?

"Then I was wondering….ne, Echizen, could you-?"

"No way." He wouldn't dare Horio to copy his homework. If he does, then he will get a perfect score like he does. Why wouldn't Horio do things by himself anyway?

"Oh come on, Echizen!" Horio screeched trying to hit Echizen if it was even possible. His two friends tried to confront him. Typical.

After his noisy bickering, Echizen stood up from the cemented wall and headed towards the bleachers.

"It's not over yet, Echizen!!" Echizen tried to ignore the idiot even though it cannot be ignore because of his loud tone that can even make a toddler go deaf.

"RYOMA-SAMA!" Oh no, another noisy one came out in the morning.

This might be the end of the world.

With Horio with his loud bickering and that noisy girl that Echizen couldn't even remember her name, called his name so many times, he wondered if he really needed an ear check up.

And even after the times he have endure the pain of his ears, he suddenly realized that that meek girl who was always with that loud-mouthed woman over there, wasn't in present. Of course he knew her name very well of course since she was the granddaughter of their coach.

Ryuuzaki.

Come to think of it, he hasn't recalled her first name.

But he was Echizen Ryoma, he would never check on his so-called cheerleaders because one of them was absent. He wouldn't even dare to ask one of them about her, or even go 1 centimeter near them.

Perhaps, the meek girl was doing her English morning homework, too. Since she had difficulty in English and even had the worst English test paper scores had ever seen in Echizen's entire life.

Ignoring his useless thoughts, he went to the tennis court to have a "friendly" match with Momo-senpai.

**(---)**

Five minutes before the bell.

She better finish copying Tomoka's last question. Actually, this is the only question that she could only copy from her best friend. After all, she needed some effort on her assignment.

And she realized then, is she the only person in class who haven't finished her homework? (A/N: She doesn't know that Horio haven't started his)

But she was almost done now, smiling to herself, she ended her English homework with a dot. She was so slow in writing English Alphabets.

But now she finished her least favorite subject.

She looked at the window and saw that the tennis Regulars left the courts.

So the whole practice thing is over, huh?

She let herself make a long heavy sigh as she sat down on her desk; her eyes were still glued on the outside of the window.

Right before her bottom rested on the solid surface, a sudden slow motion suddenly made the petite girl froze.

A golden object, not far from the window, fell from the sky. She was not mistaken about it—it was a tennis racket.

Her gaze didn't look anything but the golden racket in its fall.

She ran towards the window and looked down to see the gold spark in the campus grounds. It wasn't her imagination at all!

She looked around to see that her classmates didn't notice that racket from the sky. With deep curiosity, she ran off, leaving her homework in her desk, heading towards the door, just then she bumped into someone and fell on the ground. Since she had a weak body and the one she bumped to was kind of masculine and strong, she fell on the ground with her butt hit the hardest.

She massaged her butt and tried her best to stand up, without looking at that person, she bowed apologetically and ran passed by him.

**(---)**

"Ryu-Ryuuzaki…?" Echizen blinked. Sakuno just ran past by him without even stuttering towards him. This was unlike of her.

Usually, when she sees him, she would just gaze at him and talk to him some simple and yet short sentences that came out from that girl. To him, she was the only girl who doesn't give him a damn of taking some ear plugs or ignoring her. To him, he feels comfortable for her silent presence and the way she stutters on him. He always accepts her cooking—and only her, who can give him free meals and in return he could give her bad compliments on her said cooking. He kept on giving her mean advices in her tennis skills—her knees are over bend, her arms fold, her grip isn't tight enough and her hair is too long. Usually, she would stammer about her hair, for he knew, that her long chestnut braided hair of hers was very precious to her and wouldn't dare to cut it.

He realized then he was thinking of her for too long and decided to remove that one aside as he sat on his chair. He took out his English notebook and decided to start writing.

He smirked, he lied to Horio. He hasn't started his morning assignment yet. And he can finish this within a minute for his forsaken knowledge on that particular subject. Just then he saw another notebook in the desk not far from his. He knew that it belongs to Sakuno.

He stood up to check her assignment if she finish all of it. He flipped her notebook to the latest page and read.

His eyes twitched after reading all of her answers. Though her last answer was alright but the rest of them are really comical.

If he wasn't cocky and anti-social, he would dare to laugh this one out like Momo-senpai would do if he can read this.

He sighed as he torn the paper out from her notebook and began to write it in proper way. After he finished her assignment less than a minute, he smirked to himself and went back to his original seat.

"Mada mada dane."

**(---)**

Sakuno thought that the one she bumped was somehow familiar, but she ignored that fact and headed towards the stairs to the grounds. Her mind was overwhelmed by that falling racket and she wondered why it fell from out of nowhere.

When she was in the grounds she passed by the Seigaku Regulars—Momo, Kawamura, Kikumaru, Fuji and Oishi. They tried to greet her but she doesn't have the time for that.

"Sumimasen, I'm in a hurry…" She said, quickly as she went outside the campus.

"B-but the School door will be close before you'll come back!" Oishi called her but tend to ignore him for awhile. The strong sensation she felt on that racket was really strange. She wasn't sure though but somehow that racket keeps calling her even without hearing its voice. It was just a sensation, Sakuno thought. But I should trying finding that racket.

She roamed around to search for that racket.

Finally, she found that golden racket from the sky.

She took the racket from the solid ground and look at it. Her smile faded. She thought it was really pure golden but when you look closer to it, it doesn't look gold but it was just an old rusty tennis racket.

Maybe as it fell from the sky, the racket might be shimmered from the sun to make it think that it's gold. How stupid can Sakuno be?!

She looked beneath the racket to see the letter "O" on it. Could it be that it's Oishi-senpai's racket? Maybe it fell out from the large tree. Maybe this strong sensation she had awhile ago was just her imagination.

She is really an idiot. Wasting her time coming down in here just to check on the racket, depressed over her time, she went back inside but decided to go to the tennis courts to return this racket if ever Oishi is looking for this one.

She was lucky enough to see that the tennis courts were still open, she wondered if the freshmen forgot to lock the courts. Turning left, she headed towards the boys' locker room. She wasn't afraid of entering there since knowing that they took all their stuff in there, she can enter without any hesitation. But she grunted as she tried to open the door. It was locked.

Now what is she going to do with this tennis racket?

Just then her hand suddenly felt numb. A sudden tingling in her nerves as she looked at the racket again. It was shimmering with white light, Sakuno blinked as the light grew and the whole court suddenly shimmered from that strong light.

And the light disappeared with a lifeless body in the ground. Just then Sakuno lost conscious on herself.

**(---)**

_**It's weird…**_

_**This warmth, this feeling… I haven't able to feel something for a very long time….**_

Sakuno heard words from her ears but tend to ignore it for her head felt aching and her mind was overwhelmed by strange dreams.

_**Little girl, wake up… you have to regain your consciousness, knowing that you can't just stay in somebody's mind. **_

This made Sakuno's eyes flickered. The voice seemed gentle but she doesn't know who it belongs to. Her vision was still blurry as she saw a blurry face right in front of hers. She was sure that it was a guy, with his short auburn hair and also with that smile. After she regained her vision, she can see that man completely.

The boy has the same auburn hair as hers, with also the same brown eyes as her but with the obvious color of a chocolate bar. He smiled at her as he helped her on getting up.

"T-thank y-you…" She said. Then she remembered that light.

"A-Ano…" She said. "Awhile a-ago, there was with this l-light, even though you wouldn't b-believe me but the racket I j-just held, s-su-suddenly shimmered right before my very own eyes!"

He smiled at her. _**It's the very first time I've seen someone stuttering over a stranger, huh**_This made Sakuno formed an anger look on her face added with a blush. But somehow when he talked to her, she just thought that his voice was somehow echoing throughout the whole dark place. Wait a second? A dark place? She looked around to see that everywhere she looked, there was nothing but darkness.

_**You realized that everywhere in here is only darkness, huh? Well, this is my home… actually, the only place where I could only stay for a very long time. It's been a long time since I've talked in this way.**_

"So in other w-words, you live here alone?"

_**It seemed so. I don't know why….but if you couldn't believe me, I'm stuck in something that I don't know, like I was trapped in an object. I don't know when was the last time I've seen light again. Anyway, how did you get in here?**_

"I…" She lowered her head. "I don't know… the last thing I remembered is that that white rusty racket suddenly shimmered right before my very own eyes and then I lost consciousness, that's all." She looked at him who sat down on the floor or if that what you call a floor.

_**Thousands of questions and zero answers.**_ He muttered under his echoing breath. _**I don't really get it. If this couldn't happen I should be in the tennis courts again.**_

"Y-you pl-played tennis?"

_**Yeah… tennis is always essential in my life. It's always been my passion and my first love.**_ He craved a smile on his face. _**Don't tell me, you also play tennis?!**_

Sakuno couldn't help but to smile. He was fun to talk with, even though she wasn't sure if he was really stuck in something or perhaps… he might be ghost from the living dead. She shrugged. That can't be, or even though he maybe a ghost but she find him comfortable to be with.

"Yeah, but I still have problems with the basics." She doesn't stutter around him anymore.

_**Ah, I see….then maybe someday that we could start training in order to improve our tennis skills…I will do anything for you now, as my thanks.**_

Sakuno's smile faded. "What? What did I do to you?"

He laughed hysterically. _**Don't you get it? You mentioned to me that you held a racket awhile ago and there's this sudden light, maybe I was trapped in a racket—perhaps my racket that is. I have no idea or remembered how I got inside my racket. But thanks to you, you freed me from this darkness and let me have a temporary stay in your body, from now on. So in return, I will protect you from any danger.**_ He thrust his chest, showing his overconfident side.

"Y-you're in my-?!"

_**Yeah, in your body….in other words, our souls are inside in one body, just… JUST LIKE FROM THE MOVIES!**_ He grinned.

She blushed, backing herself from him.

_**Ne, I won't do something to you….**_ He gave a sheepish sighed._** Besides, I am not really a pervert. Do you believe that all men are perverts?  
**_

She shook her head. Of course not all men are complete perverts! She knows so many guys who are nice to her and protected her with care. Her senpais, of course! They were considerate of her and wouldn't be obvious of being perverts. Well, there is also one who wasn't even a pervert and at the same time who doesn't show any affection on her nor cared for her. Echizen Ryoma, she grunted, is the only Regular who didn't care of her presence.

_**Good. Now, I ask you to wake up now…**_

"Eh? But I'm al-already awake!"

No… you're still asleep. I guess you can't force yourself to wake up from your slumber…. He said, scratching his head.

_**But…I was wondering**_," He smirked. "_**Can I take over your body while you still regain your self conscious?**_" He said, hopefully which made the girl hesitated.

This guy hasn't been in the real world since he had been stuck in the racket for God knows how many years had he remained in the darkness. And Sakuno felt sorry for him for staying in the darkness without feeling anything at all. But if he really lived in the darkness, why is he still smiling like that?

"Okay…" She decided. "But after my classes this-"

_**OKAY!!**_ He beamed and jumped many times. He sounded like Kikumaru but more mature. _**Oh yeah, I didn't know your name!"**_

"Ryu-Ryuuzaki. Ryuuzaki Sakuno!" She bowed her head in a respectful manner. "I'm from the freshmen junior high from Gakuen Seishun!"

"Nice to meet you-"

_**Oshiteru….**_ He said, calmly. _**Oshiteru Shigeru. **_

**End Chapter**

A/N: Hello there! My first ever Prince of Tennis story! I started writing stories ever since I've kept reading your fanfics. It was really fun to read POT!! LOL

Anyway, since this is my very first POT fanfic, I kept wondering if I made them in character since I didn't know Sakuno and Echizen that much. It's hard to make IC if you just started watching Prince of Tennis. Yeah, I started watching it last four months ago… and started to make a fanfic of this. BELATED MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR and reviews and criticisms are all welcome!!

ukyouchrono "Alyssa"


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: POT doesn't belong to me…BUT, Oshiteru Shigeru belongs to me!

**Genius Two: An Explanation**

Today was really unusual.

For the first time, Echizen didn't sleep during English class.

It wasn't because he was interested on English—hell, he was damn cocky enough to listen to the teacher, or given any slight interest on that subject.

He was just staring at that vacant seat right in front of him. That seat belongs to that pigtailed girl.

He glanced over that best friend's of hers. Like him, she looked at her opposite's chair and muttering about her name numerous times.

Even Horio, Kachiro and Katsuo were worried about her absence. They couldn't even concentrate on their lesson (but still, in daily basis, they wouldn't listen to the class anyway)

"Echizen…" The guy with two years of tennis experience whispered, though, to Echizen, it wasn't really a whisper. "...do you know where Ryuuzaki is?"

"Not really," he replied with his head turned in the opposite way. He could hear Horio muttering cursed words on Echizen. How can he know where that girl is? This really annoyed him. Why is the world around Ryuuzaki Sakuno these days anyway?

Echizen sighed.

Ever since Sakuno left the classroom—bumping into the Prince of Tennis—and left her English morning assignment in her desk, Sakuno didn't return for the past few hours. Within a few more minutes, it will be their Break. The teacher was pissed off awhile ago for Sakuno's absence. He knew that the girl wasn't absent since he saw her this morning, but at the same he wouldn't completely believed that a nice naïve girl, like Ryuuzaki Sakuno, is cutting classes. He didn't doubt the teacher. After all, he was right; Ryuuzaki Sakuno wouldn't cut classes without a reason.

He yawned.

Any second now, this boredom ends.

RIIIING!

**(---)**

_**The bell!**_ Sakuno whined. She was sweating buckets for the past for hours. She was still inside her mind. She looked at vision before her. It was her playing tennis—no, it was Oshiteru Shigeru playing tennis!

A few hours ago, she told Shigeru that she had classes to attend to but when she heard the sound of keys, she knew all along that the front door was locked up. She was devastated after that and Shigeru tried to encourage her not to worry.

_**First times are the way of life.**_ He told her that. _**Like when you play a new game for the first time. In this situation, it wasn't your fault after all and you didn't mean it anyway.**_

Yeah, he was right. First times are the way of life. So she would just treasure this experience. Maybe in years passed by, she will remember the old times during in her freshmen days that she once tried cutting classes.

NOOO! She doesn't want that!

_**I apologized.**_ Shigeru bowed her on her; it was really Sakuno's first time seeing him in a worried state. _**Maybe if you haven't seen my racket this morning maybe you couldn't leave the classroom.**_

She doesn't want him to worry. She thought that he was the type who couldn't worry simple things. But guess that he completely understood her feeling. She told him it was really alright for her. Like he said, first times are the way of life.

And then she even let him take over her body. Like she promised him to, she would allow him to see the world outside today.

"Hoiya, hoiya!" He hit another shot on the tennis ball onto the same spot on the wall. Sakuno was completely mesmerized by his tennis play.

_**You're pretty good, Oshiteru-san! **_Shigeru grinned as he scratched on his (Sakuno's) back. He loves being appreciated, Sakuno should remember that.

She already regained her consciousness to herself now as what Shigeru told her, but still, she'll let Shigeru take over her body as a vessel for awhile.

When he first went outside from their mind links, he was enormously happy, he jumped numerous times, he looked at the sky above, he touched the floor and he even attempted to touch Sakuno's face. (Which he remembered that it was her face anyway…) He picked his racket in the ground and tried to swing. He doesn't know how many years he had been inside his racket but as long as he can finally feel things now, he could forget the past.

"Sakura, I can feel now!" He beamed. Even he was in Sakuno's body, his voice still the same. Well, at least he won't sound like a meek girl. But somehow his voice is nostalgic. His voice had the resemblance of Ryoma Echizen, Sakuno realized. They, somehow had the same voice except his voice sounded cheery than the Prince of tennis'. Even though the current Sakuno now was Oshiteru Shigeru, she can still have the same face inside their mind links.

When Sakuno heard her roommate (if we can call that) addressed her name wrong, she sighed.

_**A-ano, it's Sakuno…**_ She corrected him. This time, after Shigeru controlled her body, Sakuno is the one who could watch every move of hers (or his).

He sighed as he picked a tennis ball nearby and started to play. (Guess that the Freshmen didn't pick all the balls)

When the bell rang, Sakuno realized that it was finally Break Time. And to her disappointment, her teachers will find her and ask her of her absence. This wasn't really her day.

"That strange sound…." Shigeru halted his tennis play. "Could that be…the school bell?"

_**Hai.**_ She replied, solemnly.

"Then the doors will be unlocked then." He formed a grin in his face. Sakuno had never seen her face in that way. "Say, Sakura… can I use your body a little bit longer?"

_**W-what do you m-mean and it's Sakuno, Oshiteru-san!**_

"Okay… SA-KU-NO!" He teased in a childish tone which made the girl pouted. "Since Sakuno gave me freedom, I'll help you get away from getting scold!"

"And also," he raised a finger. "Start calling me by the first name without a "san"! Since we've became close friends now!"

Sakuno sighed, since when did they become close? Oh right, Shigeru's in her body. So they're more than close.

**(---)**

Shigeru Oshiteru roamed around the whole school. He would let himself be notice by Sakuno's teachers. He was somehow confident. In the other hand, he was delighted to see so many people again.

"Sakuno!" Shigeru didn't hear that loud calling but he continued to swift away towards the cafeteria.

"SAKUNO!" The voice became louder, but he didn't stop though, for his eyes were fixed on the grand cafeteria before him.

_**Shigeru-kun... I...I think T-Tomo-chan is calling me!**_

_Tomo-chan?_ He used him thoughts as his communication towards her. He discovered this when he was thinking about the food too loud for auburn haired girl to hear.

_**Y-yeah, Tomo-chan, my best friend.**_

Come to think about it, he heard someone calling her name awhile ago. But he ignored it because he was used to his "real" name.

_**Shigeru-kun, I need to speak Tomo-chan about it! About y-you…**_

_Sakura, maybe it's best if we didn't tell anyone about this crazy thing._

_**It's S-Sakuno.**_

_R-right!_ He formed a large sweat on his head that dropped comically. _They will think that you're making excuses over something magical just because they think you proclaimed to have cutting classes, and do you think that they will quickly accept that err…a guy was inside of you? _

But to Shigeru, it was cruel of him to say those things for all he knew that he was the blamed of the girl's worry. He at least knew that it was the best for both of them. And he knew someday he will bring happiness to her.

Sakuno hesitated. She knew that people won't like to see a man using her body as a vessel especially her senpais and her—she gulped—grandmother. And if she tells Tomoka about this…right now…in this cafeteria with bunch of students eating their lunch, she can imagine what the situation will be.

_**Alright…**_ She decided. _**But please let me handle with her-**_

"Sakuno!" Tomoka grabbed Shigeru's shoulder. She was panting now after all the running and shouting she had been through.

Shigeru blinked.

"SAKUNO, WHERE WERE YOU AND WHY ARE YOU IGNORING ME AWHILE AGO?!" Tomoka screeched because of that, people stared at them with eyes widened. It was like, the very first time that they saw Osakada Tomoka yelling at her best friend Ryuuzaki Sakuno.

Shigeru looked at her; a sweat fell in his head. "I… I got locked out from the building." Shigeru made his voice a bit low, thank God that he still remembers that his voice will be different from Sakuno's.

"THEN WHY DID YOU LEAVE KNOWING THAT THE SCHOOL WILL BE LOCK EVERY AFTER THE BELL RINGS?!"

Sakuno gulped, she was getting more and more worried, this was the first time she seen Tomoka in that state. She ever hoped that she and Tomoka will be friends.

_**I wish Shigeru-kun do anything to make her calm…**_ She prayed.

"I went to the tennis courts of course." Shigeru answered calmly. This made Sakuno fell over her feet. Okay, he was telling her the truth, but not all of it.

"I…I see." Tomoka calmed. "You're catching up with me like I told you to."

Sakuno sighed in relief. Shigeru did a great job of saying the right words after all.

"I'm sorry, Sakuno!" She gripped Shigeru's arms as she continued to wail. "If I remember that you're slow in English alphabets, I shouldn't tell you to meet me at the tennis courts to support Ryoma-sama!"

Shigeru calmed the girl as he laughed weakly. Though he didn't understand what she was talking about but he knew that he just made her calm for awhile.

"Oh by the way, Sakuno, the teachers were looking for you. And didn't seem happy about it," Tomoka said, worriedly over her best friend.

_**Now what should I do?!**_ Sakuno whined.

_Daijoubo, daijoubo, Sakura! I can handle them anyway!_

_**But we don't have any other reasons now, after all—they're the teachers!**_

_Don't worry, I know what to do_. He smirked.

"Sakuno, why did you form that same smirk that Ryoma-sama had?" Tomoka noticed her best friend's sudden gain of confidence.

"Sorry, Tono-chan, I gotta go!" And Shigeru ran off.

"To-Tono-chan?!" Tomoka's eyes twitched.

"Ah, Sakuno, where are you going?" Tomoka called her but she left her as she went to the right corner.

"That way leads to the teacher's faculty…"

"NOOO WAY!!"

**(---)**

_**Mou, you called her Tono-chan!**_ Sakuno can't believe what Shigeru called her best friend. This will be critical for her! At first it really turned out well but after they left the cafeteria, Tomoka might have strange suspicions on her. She groaned. She was getting more and more uncomfortable in this kind of situation.

"My bad, I made a mistake on names again!" Shigeru chuckled which made the girl gave herself a sign of defeat. Does Shigeru have a lack of memory on remembering people's names?

_**A-ano, Shigeru-kun, what are you planning to do? And are you really going to the TEACHER'S FACULTY?!**_

_Of course._ He added a smirked in his face.

_**A-ano, you looked like as if you know where the teacher's faculty is.**_

_In this time, I'm not really sure, but I don't know if it has the same location as it was in my time._ Sakuno stared at him with clueless look on her face. Could it be that Shigeru was one of the Seigaku students before?

_**Yeah, you're right. This pathway leads us into one room. And that only room is the teacher's faculty.**_

"Sank you, Sakura," he said, cheerfully. He can finally see the teacher's faculty now. It was brandish brown, Shigeru thought, not the same old crooked paint he despised of.

Sakuno was still annoyed of his forgetfulness of names. She was now tired of repeating now, she sighed. She doesn't know what will happen next when they will enter the teacher's faculty.

**(---)**

"Ryuuzaki-sensei, why did you call me in here?" The stoic captain asked, politely.

Sumire sighed. Even though this was too early for a discussion to begin with but she got no other choice now. "Tezuka, Inoue will be coming over to the Seigaku courts. He said this wasn't an interview but information for all of us. But I cannot be with the tennis team this afternoon for I got business matters to attend to."

"While I'm gone, you and Oishi will be handling Inoue for awhile and hear of his information about this former Seigaku Regular I knew a long time ago," She added a smirked.

Without daring to ask why for his anti-social nature, he nodded with the word "Hai" and turned to leave the office.

"Ryuuzaki-sensei, there is something I have to talk about you…about your granddaughter…" Tezuka heard one of the teachers—perhaps the English teacher, approaching towards the ever stricken coach. He ignored that fact and went on.

When he reached the door, a familiar freshman girl barged in without a single knock on the door.

It was Ryuuzaki-sensei's granddaughter, no doubt about it.

But it was quite unusual. Normally whenever they meet, she would be the first one who will bow him in polite greeting before he did but it seemed that the girl didn't do anything but to stare. Her stare was not the same stare, though.

_**Shigeru-kun, show some greeting towards Tezuka-buchou!**_ Sakuno told him.

_Ah. _Shigeru bowed. Sakuno's auburn braids fell and touch on the warmth of his cheeks. "Good morning, buchou," He greeted, plainly. He wasn't used on greeting people in this manner but he was good on acting as Sakuno. Maybe it's because her character is quite easy to pretend. But when he first saw the stoic look of this senior, he knew that this tennis captain is somehow a valuable tennis player and he couldn't help but to look at his features. Surely, this man, as he can tell, can be a worthy opponent.

The captain's eyes were still transfixed on the girl but after a second, he did in return.

"Ah, there she is!" Shigeru raised his head to face an English teacher who he wasn't familiar at and another aged teacher whom he looked closely at.

He knew this old woman somehow but he couldn't remember.

"Sakuno, I heard a complaint from your teacher." She stood up from her seat with that furious look on her face. "But if this was true, then why did you, Sakuno, miss all the class periods before the Break?"

Shigeru could hear Sakuno muttering "sorry" numerous times, but he tried to ignore it as he will do his act.

"I saw some-something o-outside, a racket that fell from the sky," Shigeru tried to recall what Sakuno had told him about his racket.

Sakuno felt unease. Does he really had a plan for making her grandmother believe that she just ran all this way just for a racket? Or will that be a good excuse?

He can't be thinking of telling her the truth, right?

"I went outside to pick it up," He continued. "Maybe because I was curious of how can a racket fall from the s-sky." He forced himself not to get overconfident, knowing that he is Sakuno, not Shigeru.

"So you just went outside just to pick up a racket?" Sumire raised a brow, her face didn't soften.

"H-hai." Shigeru bowed.

"It just then, I felt silly for going out there, and then I realized that maybe the racket came from the large tree which fooled me to think that it fell from the sky."

He paused for awhile and continued. "I went to the tennis courts and returned it. It was open so I came in. When I went back, trying to get there as fast as I can, but w-when I reach towards the door, it was locked and I was afraid to be caught by someone who is a terror (Shigeru and Sakuno shrugged) so I decided to wait for the bell while I stayed at the tennis courts." He ended, waiting for Sumire and the English teacher to speak.

"Just for a single racket, you have to go all that way for that?" She asked, sheepishly as the English teacher roared in laughter.

"So it was after all, a racket! Ryuuzaki was trying to return the racket to the tennis courts?" He asked with more laughter. He stopped when he saw the scariest glare from the Seigaku coach.

Shigeru stared at her. Now he remembered now! He gulped_. It was the old bimbo Ryuuzaki-sensei! She's still a coach until now? Wow, she was kind of… old._ He nearly snorted in laughter but tried to ignore it. Luckily, Sakuno didn't hear his thoughts for he can sometime kept his thoughts on his own, if she ever hears this, she will be angry for insulting a teacher.

"But Ryuuzaki that wasn't even an excuse." The English teacher said which made Shigeru wanted to kill this man for laughing and in the end scolded him for his "long" explanation.

He frowned. Did he make his explanation wrong? Or is this English teacher a bit cruel?

But in the end, he answered in a "Sumimasen" with guilt filled him.

"I believe that it was my responsibility for leaving our necessities outside from the tennis courts." Shigeru turned around to see the current captain. He didn't know that he was still in here until now.

_**Tezuka-buchou!**_ Sakuno was a surprised as Shigeru.

"She returned the racket for the safety of our property; she doesn't want the owner looking for it." He said, a stoic look remained in his face.

"So in other words, because of her care towards our tennis team, she is excusable. Ryuuzaki-sensei?" He waited patiently for the coach to answer.

A vein popped out from the coach as she gave a long sigh. "I know what you mean, Tezuka. It was our responsibility after all (or the responsibility of whomever the hell who owns that racket!) but my granddaughter won't do the same thing ever again, right, Sakuno?" She sounded dangerous in that tone but Shigeru just nodded. But his eyes widened. Did he really hear that right? The old hag… is Sakuno's grandmother? He nearly screamed of shock but he rather act quiet for awhile.

"I know she won't do the same thing ever again!" The English teacher agreed. "Ryuuzaki is one of the nicest students I've ever had, with lot of cooperation and active in all of my activities (though she failed a lot in English, he wanted to add that part but just shrugged) I believe that she is excusable." He added with a smile. "But if she make the same incident again, I'll make sure that Ryuuzaki will be suspended."

"Thank you!" Shigeru beamed as he tried his best to bow with respect and left the faculty.

"Ryuuzaki-san…" Tezuka said, making the spirit inside of Sakuno stopped. "Why is your voice…different?"

Shigeru's brow twitched.

"Come to think of it, while you were explaining things, you sounded like your voice became raspy." Sumire added.

"I…" He began, making his voice in a low tone. "...I got a sore throat." He didn't look back until now as he waited for their reply.

"I see..." Sumire said which made him sighed. "Just drink some water and you will be fine. _Having a sore throat in this nice weather? Sheesh._

"So I gotta go now, bye!" And with that Shigeru inside of Sakuno's body quickly get out from the faculty.

_That's was so close!_ Shigeru panted, pressing his back body on the door. _The old hag didn't notice me but there's this…Tezuka! I know that guy won't believe me anyway. Better be careful around him next time_! He sweatdropped, scratching his cheek, he muttered, "So it's done now, Sakura. Mission accomplished!"

_**It's Sakuno!**_ Sakuno corrected him, clenching her fists. She was happy that it was all over at the same time she grunter over Shigeru's nickname on her grandmother. An old hag? And worst of all, he can remember Tezuka's name. How can he remember his name while he can't even remember hers? This irritated the auburn haired girl.

_Right…_ He remembered about the coach. _Say, Sakur—Sakuno! About the coach, are you-_

RIING!

_**The bell! Shigeru-kun, we have to go to my classroom now! **_

_Y-yeah… Sakura, you can finally go back to your body now._ He closed his lids and began to think harder—to make his soul back to his mind chamber. He could feel a sudden pull of his soul from the body and went back to the feeling of quietness again.

Finally, Sakuno was with her body back. She smiled as she looked around herself. Even though it wasn't long for her to live in their mind links but she was glad that she wasn't the one who explain them about her disappearance. If she didn't have Shigeru's help, she might end up stuttering in panic and embarrassed herself right in front of her grandmother and the English teacher. Though Shigeru did a great job on acting as her, she couldn't help but to think that he can be honest at the same time he knows how to pretend, kind of weird for her.

"A-ano…Shigeru-kun…" She said, her voice became very low now. "T-thank you, Shigeru-kun!"

_**You know, you can just speak through your thoughts openly rather than saying it loud**_, Shigeru said, a sweat fell from his head.

"I—" She paused for a moment and tried to think hard, letting her thoughts through the passage of his room. _I see._

She knew how to handle her thoughts now, she smiled.

_**Let's go now!**_ Shigeru grinned.

"Oh no!! I forgot about it!! I have to go to class now!" She ran towards the long corridor until it reached the main hall. She turned around to gaze and the stairs, panting, she ran upstairs.

_**Sakuno, after school, there's something I have to tell you…**_

_O-okay…_ This made the boy smile; his vessel didn't usually ask questions which really made him comfortable.

Sakuno ran, headed towards the front door of her classroom. She saw some freshmen looking at her. It was a bit uncomfortable but she knew that the teacher will explain everything…

"Sakuno!" A hyper voice ran towards her. Two arms crossed around her neck. "I heard everything from the teacher that you're all cleared!" She giggled.

Sakuno blinked, then she just smiled. "Yes, I'm fine now." Guess that the teacher did tell them everything. That was kind of fast. _And it's a good thing that Tomo-chan forgot about that time. She _remembered Shigeru calling her friend, "Tono-chan."

"Mada mada dane, Ryuuzaki…" Sakuno turned. It was Echizen Ryoma standing in front of the door, holding his Ponta.

"Ry-Ryoma-kun!" She blushed that Shigeru noticed.

"RYOMA-SAMA!" Tomoka squealed. But Ryoma ignored her.

"Cutting classes just for a racket?" He said, coolly and drank the remaining grape fluid inside the can.

"D-demo, R-Ryoma-kun…" She felt uncomfortable with him. "I...I d-don't want t-that person to go l-look for it. So-"

"Whoever this person is, he should really thank you for the trouble he caused for you." With that, the Prince of Tennis threw the can to the trash can. "Ja ne." He went back inside the classroom.

"Sakuno, you're sooo lucky!" Tomoka give another hug to the girl, who nearly jerked out.

"W-what d-do you mean, To-Tomo-chan?"

"Ryoma-sama appreciated your kindness towards that person's racket! You are really lucky!!" She yelled. "Sakuno, he finally noticed you!"

"N-no, T-Tomo-chan!" She gave a forced smile. "That was impossible."

_**I don't even like that guy… **_Shigeru muttered in his chamber. _**But somehow his eyes resemble someone I know.**_ He sighed, stretching his arms. _**Oh well, I'm going to sleep now. I have to wake up when school is over.**_

He saw the teacher coming, he told Sakuno to hurry up and get inside her classroom.

And so Sakuno was excused, she sighed in relief. She was really glad that the teacher understood her, it was all thanks to Shigeru even though, she admitted, that he was the real reason why this have all started. But also thanks to him, he found ways to make them believe and also a little bit from Tezuka. But it doesn't matter, anyway.

Finally, it's all over, yet.

_Sakuno, after school, there's something I have to tell you…_ the words from Shigeru echoed throughout her mind. She was of course bothered by it, but she will wait for it then.

**End of Chapter Two**

A/N: (gives homemade cookies to her reviews!) KYAH! I super-special-awesome happy that everyone like the story! And cool, criticisms! Just as I've expect from the authors of Prince of Tennis fanfiction dome! YAY!! I really love your reviews, it made me go jolly all over again! And I love sending replies to you guys since I wanted to know people! Yeah, I wanted to meet new friends in here! XD

Sorry I haven't update this for long…guess I have school now and I can only write on the Weekends which pisses me off. But I have to update this one as fast as I can. But maybe next time, I shouldn't hurry up so I can just re-read if ever I have errors or something.

So yeah, Oshiteru Shigeru is someone I just made. The part when Sakuno thought about Oshiteru's voice, I was wondering if Paku Romi will be the voice if he did exist (which of course, not!) Paku and Junko (Echizen's seiyuu) have a bit of a similar voice, eh? So by any chance you've watched animes that have Paku Romi as a seiyuu (like Gakuen Alice, Fullmetal Alchemist, etc) I wanted to imagine Shigeru's voice will be Paku-san's!" Sugoi!

Oops, I made the author's notes a bit long, so I have to end in this way: Thanks for the reviews, everyone! I hope that you will read this story until the very end! Arigato Gozaimasu!

ukyouchrono "Alyssa"


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